Cloak and Dagger
by N'yrthghar
Summary: In the age of kings and queens, knights and nobility, one unlucky rabbit meets one sly fox. A rough start leads to an unexpected friendship as they solve a crime in Judy's name, and uncover a secret threatening the entire kingdom. [Rated T for action; on temporary hiatus]
1. A Chance Encounter

Judith Laverne Hopps was not your average bunny. Where most in this day and age were content with their given social rules, she was far from satisfied. Coyotes were okay with being scouts in the royal army, just as rabbits were okay with being farmers. Bears and rhinos were used to being guards while goats sold general goods. Sheep were content with being tailors, while wolves were seen as rogues or bandits.

It seemed each mammal in the world, each species, had learned and completely accepted its role in society without question. And most mammals that didn't fit the mold were either broken to fit it, or cast out and treated as something far lesser. She, however, was not. She didn't want to be a farmer, as her entire family was. She wanted, if anything, to be a guard of some sort. Something active, something different. Something unlike her species.

Which made her current predicament all the more worrying.

For three hours, she had been running. Not for her health, not for a job, no. She was running for her life, despite having long left the footfalls of the noble's guards behind her. And now, she was lost. So horribly, helplessly lost that she felt she could never escape these woods.

Letting out a yelp, the rabbit tripped and fell to the dirt. The stray root of a growing oak tree had tripped her up. At feeling herself hit the ground and come to a stop, she took a careful look of her surroundings. Trees, mainly oaks, and shrubbery surrounded her. There was no sort of path in sight, and the sun was lowering itself to the distant mountains, casting a faint orange glow on the horizon. It would be dark soon, and she had no shelter, no food, no way to know where she was headed. The chances of her making it to morning were, in their own right, slim. If the carnivorous bandits didn't get to her, it was entirely possible the guards would still be after her. Not to mention the few poisonous reptiles that still remained in this portion of the world, or the numerous poisonous plants she could think were harmless enough to eat.

And it was with this crushing realization, that she let loose a torrent of tears. They stained the ground below her as she wept, her lavender dress now tattered and muddied.

Feeling her hope flow free with her tears, the little rabbit gave in to her emotions and let darkness envelop her.

~ óÓÒò ~

When Judy woke, it was dark. She was shivering from the cold spring night, and the ground smelled of fresh rainfall. The grass around her was wet with a morning dew, and her dress was damp with the same substance. Rubbing her eyes, she rose to a sitting position and sat against the tree that had tripped her the night before. To her right, the faintest rays of sunlight were being cast through the trees, giving her just enough light to see by. Her surroundings had not changed, aside from the occasional gleams of water droplets upon leaves as wind swept along them.

There was nothing to say and nothing to think about as she pulled herself to her feet and began to trudge in the direction she hoped home was. There was no haste, no rush in her as she sniffed from her tears and wiped at her nose. She walked, praying it was in a straight line, for a lengthy amount of time before her stomach's grumbling interrupted her silence. Ears falling down to rest against her head, she looked around for a plant she could recognize. There was a blueberry bush nearby, but it appeared to only have shriveled up, rotten berries on it. She wandered the area in a circle, before coming across what seemed like a passable meal: a raspberry bush.

With a sigh, she sat beside the bush and plucked a berry from it. "Oh, how lucky am I?" she muttered to herself bitterly, popping the berry into her mouth. The sweet, yet somehow still sour taste filled her mouth as she ate it, followed by another berry, followed by several more. She hadn't realized how hungry she was.

By the time the sun shone brightly through the clouds, her paws and muzzle were stained red, and the bush was devoid of any berries. Rubbing her stomach gently, she rose up and began walking again. Silence surrounded her yet again as she walked, though now it was no longer marred by a literal feeling of emptiness in her stomach. Instead, she was now free to think about the events that led to her predicament yesterday.

But, the more she thought of them, the angrier she grew. And with that anger came recklessness. And with that recklessness came her kicking along rocks and her paws shifting to fists as she went. Going along, she found she had no way to let loose her anger, until she happened across a stick of decent length that seemed to have fallen from the tree. It was as long as her arm and half as heavy.

With a twitching nose of curiousity, she hefted the stick with one paw. It felt unevenly balanced, but was satisfying enough to swing in the air.

And on she continued to walk, venting her frustrations by swinging about her newfound item. Leaves were scattered as she hit bushes, rocks went soaring ahead as she smacked them away, and small bits of wood would splinter off as she hit trees. But, despite the light damage it caused, it helped. Not only that, but it could leave her a trail, to tell her if she had gone in a circle.

It wasn't until the sun had passed over its peak that the rabbit realized that she might be in more trouble than she had anticipated. Many hours of near-constant walking, and she hadn't come to any recognizable area. She also found a noticeable lack of water, unable to even hear a running source, and her food supply was limited to the sparse berry plants she stumbled across. Her stick had broken one end enough to be sharpened, which she saw as a means for self-defense should she happen across any unsavory characters.

Though not explicitly skilled in combat, she and her siblings had often played games of knights and bandits when they were little. She had no formal training, but several times she had found herself the last standing member of her 'kingdom', and fought as far as she could. It took her anywhere from ten minutes to two hours to be taken down, or on one occasion, having taken nearly twenty of her siblings down and won the battle.

But of course, that was all play. In this situation, she would be risking her life, not some imaginary points. And that idea alone got her heart racing enough to quicken her pace.

But if her day so far was any indication, she was unlikely to find her destination with ease.

~ óÓÒò ~

It was growing dark again, and Judy had yet to find her way home. Or, really, anywhere she recognized. She knew this bode ill for her and her chances of survival, especially now that it was her second night away from home. But, she heard sounds, voices, from not too far off. They were loud, shouting, and she swore she could see lights through the trees. Perhaps she had found her way somewhere after all?

Filled with a newfound hope, Judy ran forward to the noise. It rose steadily from an unintelligible cacophony of noises to an understandable grouping of voices filled with concern and anger. Stopping just outside the source, a small town riddled with shacks which she had approached from behind, the rabbit looked on in confusion and curiosity. A mob of the residents and guards, armed with literal torches and pitchforks (and, for the guards, crossbows), were wandering to and fro, searching between buildings for something... Or someone.

She continued forward, despite the growing sensation of unease in her gut, until she poked her head out from between two homes. The mob was meandering away from her, and she let out a sigh as she decided what to do. The idea hit her, literally, as she was flung to the ground an instant after her vision was filled with a deep brown. The sound of coins scattering on the dirt behind her drew the mob's attention her way as she scrambled to her feet. The source of the brown became evident as she stared at a cloaked fox who was scrambling to pick up as many coins as he could, a tan hat with a single red feather sticking from it resting on his head.

He turned towards her and reached for a coin, his emerald eyes meeting her own amethyst ones as he did so.

Then she realized what was happening: This fox had stolen coin from the town, and they were searching for him. She had just happened to be where he had been running and tripped him, sending his bag spilling on the ground as they both fell. Now, the mob was closing in on the two.

Angry voices filled the air as she turned around, a glimmer of hope showing in her eyes. Maybe, if she helped the townsfolk get their coin back, they could direct her to home? Possibly be given a meal as thanks for her unintended help?

"There he is!" A voice called out.

"Look, there's a bunny, too!" Said another.

"What?" Came a third. "A rabbit's helping him now? We can't even trust the prey?"

Judy's ears fell against her head as she heard the voices. They suspected her of helping the fox steal their gold. It was likely, if this town operated in any way like her own, that they wouldn't even give her the chance to explain herself to them. So it was with great haste that she grabbed her stick and turned tail, running after the fox as he began to head for the woods. Arrows began to fill the air as she ran, and one caught her left leg, making her cry out and fall down.

The spark of hope she held had gone out as she collapsed to the ground, the sounds of the mob nearing her as she clutched the wound in her leg. The fabric between her fingers and leg was now torn and stained red, and she hissed as she held it close.

It seemed that rabbits weren't as lucky as her family had once told her.

~ óÓÒò ~

The fox paused as he heard the rabbit's cry of pain from behind him, an arrow sailing well over his head as he did so. He turned to see the gray bunny curling up on the ground, clutching her leg to her chest. The mob was drawing nearer, and he could almost _feel_ their anger. But now, he was presented with a problem.

He could save the rabbit, who most likely would be hanged for a hasty assumption that she was helping him, or he could save the money he held in the bag in his left paw. The decision, for him, wasn't as easy as one would think. But, in the end, morality won out, and he began to run back to the pitiful creature on the ground. As he ran, he poured what few coins he could into the pouch on his belt, before tying off the bag and hurling it with all his might to the angry crowd.

They paused, each mammal trying to secure the bag, buying the fox just enough time to crouch down and pick up the rabbit. She hissed as he shifted her, giving him a cold glare as he turned and began running for safety yet again. He didn't dare look back, only pausing when something took the almost imperceptable weight of his hat off his head and stuck it to the tree – a sharpened stick. Without hesitation, he reached for the stick and tore it from the tree it had landed in, hat sitting atop as he set it between his chest and the rabbit he held.

It wasn't until the sun had completely set and the sliver of light that was the moon had risen that he stopped behind a tree, setting down the rabbit. She immediately pushed him away and scrambled against the tree, grabbing the sharpened stick and holding it similarly to a spear. The reynard held up his paws and held his crouching position.

"What are you doing with me, you thief?!" she hissed, eyes filled with a burning anger.

"Shush!" he hissed back, reaching beneath his cloak for the pouch that held bandages. He withdrew one, the white fabric feeling rough in his paws as he reached for her leg. She pulled it away, and shot daggers at him. "I'm only trying to help you," he said, meeting her gaze.

"You liar!" she accused, jabbing at him once. He backed up and held both paws where she could see them, the white bandage trailing from one.

"Hey, hey, easy, easy!" he said. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you. Just bandage your leg," he said, pointing to the item he held. "See?"

The rabbit stared at him, expression not wavering until she shifted and hissed in pain, drawing her leg close again. The fox tilted his head a bit and held the bandage a little higher, relaxing as she let out a reluctant sigh and extended her leg. Slowly, the fox reached down and she tugged her dress just far enough back that he could see the cut.

It was in the middle of her shin, and was caked with dried blood, though wet spots gleamed here and there. He deftly wrapped her leg up and pulled away, rising to his feet.

"Alright, well, with that taken care of, I think I'll be going now," he said, turning to walk away. When he felt a sharp poking in his back, he paused and turned around again, cap in paw. The rabbit was now standing, stick level with his chest.

"Oh, no you don't. You're helping me get to where I need to go," she said. The fox scoffed.

"And why would I do that?" he asked, paws being planted on his hips as he stared down at her.

"Because if you don't I'll... I'll..." The rabbit stuttered, as if trying to find a valid reason. "I'll tell that town where you went!" She threatened.

He laughed again. "Oh, yes, because I can't just take a winding path to my desitnation. Next?"

Her ears fell to her back as she stared at him. "I'll... I'll hunt you down myself and bring the guard to you!" She tried again. He laughed again.

"And you think you can keep up with me on an injured leg? That's about as rich as the nobles from that town."

She was running out of options, and the fox knew it. "Then, I'll just stab you here and take you back myself!" She tried.

The fox laughed again, before shifting forward and grabbing her stick with one paw. He raised it into the air, causing her to let out an 'eep' of surprise as he brought his muzzle to be level with hers. "And now?" he jabbed, a smirk playing along his lips.

With a grunt, she lifted herself and kicked at him with one leg, catching him in the stomach. The reynard groaned and strained to not double over, catching her foot with his other paw when she went for a second kick. Now he held her up, one foot dangling uselessly as the other was trapped to his stomach, both of her paws held onto the stick he had raised up.

"You really think you're going to win this fight?" he asked, a low growl emenating from his throat. He could feel the rabbit's pulse quicken as she took a nervous gulp, her expression changing from determination to fear. The scent she gave off also spiked with fear, telling him he had won.

He stared at her for a moment longer, before gently lowering her to the ground and placing the cap on his head, ignoring the new hole it had in it.

"Alright, Carrots. I'll help you out, but only for tonight," he said.

The rabbit dug the stick into the ground and stood up, leaning against it for balance. "You're going to want to refrain from calling me Carrots," she hissed, venom dripping from her voice.

"My bad," he said, sauntering away. "I just assumed you came from some little carrot-choked podunk out east."

He glanced beside him as the rabbit matched her pace with his, using the stick as a makeshift crutch. "Uh, no," she said angrily. "I'm from-"

He paused and held up a paw. "Shh, shh, shh, shh," he said quickly, ears perking up as he leaned down to her. "Do you hear that?" he said, watching in amusement as her ears slowly rose, straining to find the sound he was speaking of. "That's the sound of me not really caring," he said, smirking once again as he started walking.

It took a minute for the rabbit to shake herself free of the anger that held her in place and go after the fox. "Hey!" She said, voice both whining and angered. "I'll have you know that my family-"

"Probably has several different fields for crops, has nearly six hundred little kits, is very prosperous, yeah yeah," he interrupted again. "Look, Carrots, I don't really want to know this right now. All I'm interested in at the moment is food. And if you keep annoying me, you'll start looking more appetizing." He spoke with a playful voice, licking his lips as he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Given the sudden silence his comment brought about, and the bit of red at the tips of the rabbits ears, he had finally earned some quiet.

This lasted a few minutes, before she spoke up again. "So... What's your name?" She asked hesitantly. The reynard chuckled, debating whether or not to be honest with her, before again letting morality get the better of him.

"Nicholas Wilde," he said. Then, looking down to her, he said: "What's yours?"

The rabbit looked down, before finally answering. "Judith Hopps."

"Well, Judy," Nick said as they neared a set of bushes. "Welcome to my den."

With that, he pulled aside the branches of one bush, and ushered her through. The sight beyond was sure to surprise her, and judging from the gasp she let out, it had done just that.


	2. Merry Meet

The sight beyond the bushes was one that caught Judy off-guard. A clearing was before her, a campfire in the center. Several small tents were lining one side of it, the other side having a rope strung up between tree branches. Tunics of various sizes were resting on the line. A few feet to the side of the fire was a big, black cauldron, the smell of stew drifing from it. On the side facing her, she could hear the faint gurgle of water.

"This... Is your camp?" She asked aloud, turning as Nick walked through the bushes behind her. He nodded as he brushed past, giving a whistle.

"It's all good, guys. She's with me!" He called out. It was then that the members of his group left their cover and entered her view.

A small fennec fox in the same outfit as Nick emerged from the bushes to their left, lowering an appropriately sized crossbow. A thin tiger walked out from behind a tent, sliding a longsword into its sheathe. He wore a stained white tunic, and tan pants held up with a rope belt. And, dropping in beside her, was another red fox in a black cloak. He nodded to Nick and looked over Judy before walking to the stew, stirring it with a wooden spoon.

Nick shook his head and brushed past the rabbit, stopping by the fire. "So, how's it coming along?" He asked, receiving a gruff sound of acceptance as a result from the other fox.

Judy took tentative steps into the camp, ignoring her growling stomach as she did so. The white fennec fox walked past her with his arms ladened with sticks. "Hey, Nick!" he said, making Judy jump – the small creature's voice was ironically loud and deep. "Mind telling us why you brought a cottontail back with ya? And where's the gold at?"

Nick turned around and rubbed the back of his neck, his other paw coming up take the cap off his head. "Well, ah, about that... She and I kind of ran into one another, and uh... Some of the loot was lost."

The smaller fox dropped the wood beside the fire, mouth open. He then shifted his gaze from the rabbit, to the fox, then back to her, then the fox. She shifted uneasily. "You did _what?_ " he cried, starting to look around for something. He settled with a random stick from the pile at his feet before approaching the fox. He swung at him once, making the red-furred reynard yelp out and jump back.

"Hey, hey, easy there Finnick!" He said, paws up defensively. Finnick kept swinging at him.

"Ya big fool, we needed that gold! We can't make it otherwise!" he shouted. As they neared the pot of stew, the larger of the three foxes reached out and grabbed Finnick's stick with a growl, yanking it from his paws and snapping it in half over his knee before tossing it into the fire.

"Look," Nick said. "I didn't get _all_ of the gold, but I got something. And, it was either take the gold, or take the bunny, and we all know that you can't put a price on a life."

Finnick scowled. "The king would like to say otherwise," he spat. "Got a well over a hundred on me for just stealing some bread!"

"You took a whole cart of it!" The tiger said, walking over. He crossed his arms and stared down at the fennec fox, who glared back.

"It's still jus' bread," he grumbled, before turning and walking for a tent. The tiger rolled his eyes and started walking for the clothes line, leaving Judy alone with the two red foxes.

Nick was currently hovering over the cauldron, smiling as it was stirred by his silent companion, asking him questions about what was added, how close it was to being done, and if his favorite spices were added. Each question was met with a nod or shaken head. It wasn't until her stomach growled again that the black-cloaked fox pointed to a stack of bowls and spoons by the clothesline. Nick walked over and grabbed them, returning with haste. He licked his lips as the other fox began scooping the stew into the bowls and setting them aside.

Finnick and the tiger both came out and sat beside one another at the edge of the fire, Nick sitting on the side opposite them. Judy was given the next bowl, and a spoon to go with it. Left with little else she felt she could do, she walked over to Nick and sat beside him, watching the other fox sit beside the cauldron with his own bowl.

They ate in mostly silence, the occasional slurp interrupting the otherwise peaceful evening. The crackling of the fire increased slightly whenever the tiger or Finnick threw in some more wood, and the gurgling of water in the distance caused the rabbit to relax.

Most of the group, save for Nick and Judy, finished their stew quickly and went to go do other things. Finnick walked into the woods, while the tiger went back to the tents, and the taller fox began cleaning up.

"So," Judy started, taking a sip as she paused. The stew was wonderful: Seasoned with several herbs, such as basil and rosemary, and filled with all manner of vegetables, even celery and carrots. It warmed her body and she wanted more, though she knew the one bowl would likely fill her. "Who are all they?" she asked, gesturing to where the other mammals had gone off to.

"Mm, well," Nick said, pointing his spoon to where Finnick had wandered off to. "That's Finnick. Short, angry, loud, but a good guy at heart. That," he said, pointing to the tiger, "Is Damon. Nicer than Finnick, but a bit quieter. He keeps everything together for us."

Judy nodded, pointing to the other fox as he walked back from the direction of the stream. His brown tunic and pants showed under the black cloak he wore. "Doesn't seem to be too talkative," she commented.

Nick nodded. "We don't really know his name, so we just call him Red. He can't talk, because he had something cut part of his throat a while back. He has a really hard time saying anything. Surprises me he's still alive, but he cooks for us and knows a bit of smithing."

Judy nodded, looking around the camp again. Darkness had settled well, and most of the camp was becoming enveloped in darkness as the fire began to die down. Judy shivered at the cold wind that swept through the area, setting down the now-empty bowl and spoon.

There was another few moments of silence, before Nick suddenly took in a breath and stood up. "Alright, well, Carrots. It's getting late, and we should all be getting some sleep soon. We'll figure out exactly what to do with you come morning."

Judy stared up at him in bewilderment. "Wait wait, just like that?" she said. He looked down at her with a set of curious emerald eyes. "Just, 'let's all go to sleep?' What if I decide to just up and leave? Or take the gold back?"

Nick smirked at her, but in the light of the fire it held a slightly sinister tone. "I don't see that being a problem, given that not everyone sleeps at night. But you're free to try," he said, turning for one of the tents. He waved at Judy for her to come over as he walked, the flustered rabbit shaking her head before climbing to her feet with the stick. She hobbled after the fox, quiet as she debated what to do. Ultimately, it seemed that she would be better off listening to the fox.

The inside of his tent was surprisingly nice. In one corner was a small chest, and beside it was a crate that supported a teapot and a few random objects: a broken sword, a rope with a hook, a fork, and a closed locket. The opposite corner kept a rug, stack of clothes, and a cap with a red feather sticking out of it. Nick walked over to his bedroll and picked up what Judy had initially assumed was a pillow, but turned out to be a second bedroll.

"Here you go," he said, rolling it her way. She stopped it with a foot and looked down at it. Cotton, stuffed with hay, as was evident with the random stems that stuck out of it. "I was using it as a pillow, but you need something warm to sleep in," he said, crouching down to roll up part of his bedroll to compensate for the now-absent roll.

With a muttered thanks, she kicked the roll to the other side of the tent and began to undo the ties that held it in place. When it fully stretched out, it proved to be much shorter than expected – barely long enough for a fox to fit into, with most of the bulk coming from being over-stuffed. Judy rolled up a small part of it at the top to use as a pillow, before crawling into it. She was having second thoughts about sleeping so close to a fox, and a stranger no less, but exhaustion alone overpowered her instincts. The roll weighed down on her, the warmth being a stark contrast to the cold she had fallen asleep to the previous night, quickly drawing her to the warm embrace of sleep.

~ óÓÒò ~

 **W** hen Judy opened her eyes again, it was dark. Moonlight streamed through the top of the tent, giving the rabbit just enough light to see by. She had the incredible urge to go to the restroom, and she sat up. The movement caused Nick to shift in his roll, grumbling as he rolled over. Judy froze, examining the fox carefully.

He was in just his tunic and pants, curled up beneath the top of his own roll in a fetal position. His paws covered his snout and his eyes were squeezed shut, his legs occasionally twitching as he dreamed. To Judy, the fox seemed like a kit. Young, innocent, yet vulnerable.

With pursed lips, she rose and hobbled out of the tent, looking around for any conscious members of the group. At finding none, she began to walk for the forest, the idea of simply running off forming in her mind. She stopped when she saw a set of ice blue eyes peer at her from a bush, just barely able to make out the silhouette of a fox under a black cloak. Red emerged from the bushes, staring at Judy in a fashion that was both threatening and curious.

"I'm... Just going to the bathroom," she said, barely able to keep her voice under control. Here, in the dead of night, with an imposing fox, she felt somehow more afraid than she had at meeting Nick's entire group. The reynard grunted and nodded, walking for the other side of the camp before disappearing from view.

Judy shook her head lightly and walked to the treeline, taking cover behind one to do her business. It wasn't long after when she walked back into the clearing and made for Nick's tent, stumbling slightly as clouds began to cover the moon. It wasn't until she had tripped over the fox's prone form that she realized just how poorly she could see now, opting to grope around in the dark for her bedroll. Surprisingly, the interaction hadn't woken the fox.

She found something warm and fuzzy beneath her paw and, assuming it was her bedroll, gave a gentle tug. A sharp yelp called out, making her let go and recoil in fright as Nick scrambled to his knees and looked around. The rabbit could just barely make out the sight of his ears swiveling and his head turning, before he turned to her, his emerald eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Carrots," he groaned. "My tail might look soft and fluffy, but it's not a toy. I gave you a bedroll."

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I got up to go to the bathroom, and it got dark and I couldn't see. I thought that was my bedroll!"

"Uh-huh, _sure_ ," the fox muttered before letting out a massive yawn. "It's in the corner. Now go back to bed? Else I'll figure out what to do with you _real_ quick," he said, licking his lips. Judy shuddered in horror and scrambled for her bedroll. Even the heavy warmth could not cease the shivers that ran through her at the thought of the fox's sharp teeth. Now she was second-guessing her ideas to ignore her instincts when they told her to flee the camp.

Yet, despite herself, she couldn't help but smile at the image of the sleeping Nick she had seen before. Could a mammal like that really be so dangerous?


	3. Preparations

When Judy awoke once again, sunlight broke through the rough fabric of the tent. The top half of her bedroll had been discarded in her sleep, preventing her from overheating. The birds, unable to keep from their basic instincts, were chirping their own unique songs far in the distance. The smell of gravy and bread drifted from the camp site, drawing the rabbit to her feet and out into the open.

The clearing was subtly flowing with activity. It wasn't immediately apparent, but the clearing was more _clear_ than before. Three of the four tents were empty, and there was no evidence of a clothesline or other items present. A cart, Judy assumed the one Finnick had a bounty for, was loaded with the groups' belongings. The cauldron sat at the front, boxes and sacks filling the thing as the tiger secured them with a rope, before turning to Finnick as he was tossed the majority of the groups' bedrolls. Judy looked around for Nick, eyes trailing back to the tent she had just left, realizing that it, too, was mostly empty.

Confused, Judy hobbled over to Damon and Finnick. "Hey, where's Nick?" she asked. Finnick, who was chewing on a piece of hay and looking more like a farmer than an archer, scowled lightly before pointing towards the river.

"He an' Red are over there. Told us to pack up." Finnick turned away and made for Nick's tent, leaving Judy to look after him. His attitude was really beginning to irritate the doe, and she clenched her paws to fists with irritation.

"Don't mind Finnick," Damon said. His voice, much smoother and more calming than the small foxes, caught her off guard. He chuckled, before continuing. "He means well, and is just frustrated we didn't get as much coin as we could've. But give him some time, he'll warm up to you."

"And if he doesn't?" Judy asked skeptically. To this, Damon shrugged.

"If he doesn't, I don't think it'll be much of a problem. Nick has helped others before, but he's never brought them back to us, so you're something special."

Judy's ears twitched at this, and a smile grew along her face. It grew wider at her memory of Nick's sleeping form last night – he had been so strangely... Cute as he slept. And his tail was so soft in comparison to her bedroll, now that she thought about it.

"You should probably go see him," Damon continued. "He mentioned you at breakfast, and I think he had Red save you a bowl of gravy and a few biscuits." The tiger gestured on to the river, shooing off the rabbit with a warm smile.

"Hey, Cottontail!" Finnick shouted, making her turn around. The small fennec fox tossed her sharpened stick her way, letting it fall to the ground a few feet from her. "Take this so's I don't add it to the next fire," he said.

"Oh, thank you! I needed this," she said, hobbling over and picking up the stick. Finnick grumbled something as he returned to the tent, rolling up her bedroll. Judy hobbled down to the riverbed, pausing once she heard Nick's voice over the sound of running water. She could just see them over the small hill before the drop to the riverbed. Red was still dressed in his black cloak that hid his clothes, and Nick was in his green tunic and tan pants, cap and cloak gone. She saw a rope belt holding up his pants, the sheathe of a small knife visible just beyond.

"So, you think it's safe to take that route?" Nick asked. Red grunted something of an affirmation.

"Even with the Black Claw roaming that area lately?" Red was quiet a moment longer, before giving a shallow nod.

The Black Claw, Judy knew, was a notorious gang of bandits that often roamed the areas north of Sherwood Forest. They stayed well away from the forest itself, however – the only group, aside from the royal guard of Nottingham, that could fend them off was Robin Hood's legendary group of Merry Mammals. Even years and years after the fox of legend had been knighted and later retired with his Maid Marian, the group still had its tenacity and strong spirit that drove them decades ago. Despite this, the Black Claw was very feared amongst farmers and travelers who were less skilled in combat.

Nick was quiet for a long moment, and Judy kept her ears perked to listen. Thankfully, the wind was towards her, keeping both foxes from noticing her scent as she eavesdropped.

"I don't want her to get hurt. Not another one."

Red reached up and put a paw on the fox's shoulder, lips pursing as he nodded. It took a moment, and his muzzle contorted to one of pain, but the larger fox managed to growl out something that seemed like reassurance.

Nick sighed and ran a paw over the top of his head. "I sure hope so."

There was a brief bout of silence, and Judy finally decided to approach the two vulpines. Nick turned to face her once she got close enough, a warm smile on his face as he stood up. "Ah, Carrots, there you are!" he exclaimed. "Just so happens that you're in luck with getting home. We've gotta move camp to the east. I'm _assuming_ that's where your family farm is?"

"They live out past Nottingham," she replied. "But closer to Lincolnsburg."

Nick groaned. "Of course, and we're well past Darby. It'll take us a few days, but I think we have the supplies to make it."

Out past Darby? That was miles and miles away from her family's farm! How far did she run? Judy groaned, much to Nick's clear amusement, before dread suddenly spiked through her. Her family, how would they react to Judy's return? Her leave hadn't exactly been on the best of terms. She had fled to avoid imprisonment for a crime she hadn't committed. Her dress was torn, yes, and a matching piece of fabric was found inside the noble's home, true, but she was _not_ a thief. Paragon was her lifestyle – lawful good, all the way.

Her situation may not have been as dire as it was if not for _what_ had been stolen, though. A priceless family heirloom, a sword made of gold and silver, inlaid with various gems, passed down from generation to generation of the Lionheart family. Late one night their home had been broken into and, with one of the guards almost catching the thief by pinning their dress with the tip of their halberd, hasty connections had been made. Judy, who was well known for her clothes becoming tattered and torn in her 'adventures' (which consisted of her play fighting with siblings, and pushing her agility by jumping through trees and vaulting random objects), had been dubbed the most likely suspect.

When the royal guards who acted as police had shown up at her family's door requesting for her, her family had been resistant at first. But when provided the (admittedly lacking) evidence, they relented, and fetched for her. The rabbit had been compliant, up until she realized exactly what was happening. Her defiance at the accusations had made the guards more adamant that she come with them and, when one lunged for her, she jumped away. Much to her family's dismay, she refused to go with them, certain of her innocence. When the guards had begun to actively try and grab her, Judy ran.

Apparantly, she ran for longer than she had thought.

"Past Darby? That's... Far. It's okay, though," she muttered. "We can get me back. I'll find out who really did it, and then I'll be home free... Right?"

"Uh... Carrots?" Nick asked, jerking the rabbit from her thoughts. "You hear me?" The fox sighed once she shook her head. "I asked how your leg's doing."

"It feels better, but it's sore," she admitted. Nick nodded, giving a small "Mm" in response.

"Well," he said, clasping his paws together. "Since we're here at the camp, I've got a few supplies I can use to help it out. C'mere." Nick walked past Judy, motioning for her to follow as Red began to roll up the map they had been poring over. Judy followed Nick back to Damon, who was putting the finishing touches on the cart with Finnick. "You guys already pack up my medicine box?" Nick asked.

"Yeah," Finnick replied. "But don' worry. It's easy to get to." As if to prove his point, the fennec fox hopped down beside one of the boxes towards the back of the cart and popped it open. Nick grinned and walked over, patting the smaller fox on the back before reaching into the box, sifting through the contents. Judy was too short to see what was inside, but she could hear what sounded like rocks and something similar tapping against one another. A minute or so later, the reynard gave a small "Aha!" of success, before pulling out of the box with a smaller wooden box in paw, as well as a roll of fresh gauze.

"Alright Fluff, lemme see your leg," he said, crouching down. Judy sat down and lifted her dress up just enough to expose the bandaged wound on her leg, which Nick took to carefully undoing. The wound underneath was red and visibly irritated, the sudden exposure to air making it burn lightly. Judy suppressed a hiss of pain as Nick tilted her leg left and right, examining it closely. "Well, good news is the cut isn't that bad. Bad news is, we should've cleaned it earlier – it's not looking too good. Dae, can you grab some water for me?" The tiger nodded and began digging out a bowl from the cart, running to the river after he found one. He returned a moment later with a bowl overflowing with water, passing it to the red fox. Nick balled up the old bandage and poured some water onto it, carefully wiping at Judy's leg.

This _did_ sting enough for her to hiss in pain and jerk away, but Nick drew her leg back out. "Relax, Fluff," he said, continuing to lightly wipe at her leg. Each hiss she let out made the reynard's ears fall against his head, and she could clearly see some level of concern in his gaze. He continued his cleaning, however, only stopping once he was sure the cut was clean enough. Then he grabbed the small box and propped it open, a sweet smell drifting out that Judy immediately identified as honey, though it had the smells of several other plants with it.

Nick dipped in two of his fingers and drew them out, a strange coloration of gold and green sticking to them as he dragged the strange mixture over her wound. Initially, it burned, but the pain quickly subsided to a faint ache, which began to dull into a faint, soothing burn. Nick licked his fingers clean, before wrapping Judy's leg in the fresh gauze wrap. "And like that," he said, closing the box and standing up. "We're done."

"What's in that?" Judy asked in wonder, lightly dabbing at her leg where the wound was.

"It's a uh... Poultice of sorts. Simple, honey and some herbs. Should help your wound heal a little faster."

"I think... What herbs are in it? Mugwort and mollien leaf?" Judy asked, looking up at him. Nick looked down in surprise.

"With some comfrey, yes. How did you know about those?" He asked.

"I'm from a family of farmers," she stated simply. "Herbology and general plant knowledge is in our blood."

"Huh..." Nick muttered, looking down with his paws on his hips. "Who would've guessed? Ignoring that," he said, looking around. "Where's that bowl of biscuits and gravy we saved for her?"

"You mean that was for her?" Finnick asked, grinning mischeviously. Nick gave the smaller mammal a scathing look, and the fennec just chuckled. "I'm joking. It's in the fire pit, embers are keepin' it warm."

Nick nodded, walking over to the pit and crouching down. Judy grabbed onto her stick and stood up slowly, hobbling over to the fire pit and sitting back down as Nick passed her a warm bowl filled with gray gravy, the top of a biscuit jutting out beside the spoon. Judy dove in hungrily, the bowl being emptied in just under two minutes, and a fair amount of gravy caking her muzzle. Nick chuckled at seeing her, pointing to his own muzzle and looping around it. In embarrasment, Judy let out a tiny squeak and turned away, licking her paw and rubbing it against her fiercely in an attempt to remove the gravy.

When she was finished, Nick took the bowl and spoon down to the river and out of sight, returning a moment later without them. "Alright," he said. "We're just waiting for Red to wrap up down there, and we're good to go."

"What's he even doing?" Finnick asked, scowling lightly. Nick held out a paw, catching the cloak Damon threw at him and putting it on.

"Gathering herbs we can use," Nick said.

"Oh, great, there he is," Damon said. The tiger nodded towards the river, where Red was approaching the group from. He held several small, brown pouches tied off with string, which he was carefully dividing into two groups. The larger group he tossed to Damon when he was close enough, before he passed the rest to Finnick. The fennec fox put all of them into a larger sack that had a rope going from one corner to the opposite corner, and was held closed with a drawstring. Damon put his portion in the box Nick had taken the smaller box from, adding in said box when the cloaked reynard tossed it his way.

"My pack's all set?" Nick asked, smiling as Finnick grumbled a "Yeah" and tossed it his way. Judy inspected Nick's pack as he slung it over his shoulder. It matched his cloak very well, almost blending in completely, and it rested along his back with a sash-like rope keeping it held to his form. Several arrow bottoms stuck out of the bottom half wher a small hole was made for them, the shape of a thin quiver barely able to be made out underneath. The bottom had a lengthy rope tied onto it, the gleam of metal showing underneath. Upon closer inspection, Judy realized it was a kind of dart and hook combination. The metal end of it was sharpened to a point and had several hook-like potrusions on the sides, all small but clearly large and sharp enough to be used as a weapon if need be. Nick added a simple, yew longbow to his outfit, and nodded comfortably. "Alright, Carrots, I'm all set. Damon, what did you manage to scrap together for her?"

Judy looked to the tiger curiously. Nick had apparantly arranged something for her, without telling her. "Well," Damon started. "Good news is, I had enough cloth to make trousers for her. But a tunic to replace her dress will take a while." As if for proof, the tiger held up a small pair of rabbit-sized trousers, appropriately sized but evidently hastily made.

"Why don't we just cut the dress?" Finnick asked.

"Fin, come on, you know how much a good dress costs! You can't just cut them." Nick replied.

"It'll save time, and give us fabric!" The fennec fox argued.

"Uh... Guys?" Judy said, frowning as she was ignored. The argument continued, and Judy's occasional attempt for input. Finally, fed up with the arguing, she walked over to Damon and grabbed the pants he held, sliding them over her legs. They fit rather well, she decided, and were surprisingly comfortable for the rough fabric they were. Then, she walked over to Nick and grabbed his dagger, pulling it from the sheathe. In one deft motion, she drew the blade along the bottom of her dress, tearing the portion below her waist in half, before drawing it back up at an angle to both sides in an upside-down V shape. Two pieces of lavender cloth fell at her feet, and she looked down at her new outfit.

The tan of the trousers clashed horribly with the lavender of her dress, but the design of it wasn't something she hated. No, she rather liked the way her dress now opened up for her legs but kept the back concealed – it would definitely be looser and easier to run in, but still helped her keep her appearance as a lady, at least from behind.

"There. Can we quit arguing now and get moving?" Judy asked, holding Nick's dagger out for him to take. The reynard huffed a bit and took the knife, deftly spinning it around in his paw once before slipping it into its sheathe.

"Right, well... Carrots, since we'll travel faster this way, you and I are just going to head towards Lincolnsburg together. Dae, Fin, and Red are all going to travel behind us, but slower. Cart and all that," he said, gesturing to the large wagon beside him. "Finnick was nice enough to pack you a bag, _wasn't_ he?" Nick looked down at the smaller fox, who held out his arms in a 'what the hell?' gesture, before shaking his head and reaching onto the back of the cart. He pulled out a small sack, similar to Nick's but minus the quiver and rope, and tossed it to Judy.

"There ya go, Hop Along," The fennec said. "Food and crap like that for a few days. Don't waste 'em, need as much of that back as we can get. I'm _kidding!_ " Finnick added the last sentence when Damon gave him a disappointed look.

"Thank you," Judy said, smiling as she slung the bag over her back. Finnick grumlbled a 'yeah yeah' as he picked up the cloth from her dress, tossing it into the pile that made up the cart's contents.

"Now get outta here, you two," The fennec grumbled.

Nick nodded and did a quick two-finger salute to his group before turning and walking off. Judy started to follow after him, but was stopped by Damon's paw on her shoulder. "Hey, listen, if he starts being a good little tod, I packed some blueberries for you. His favorite, alright?" The tiger added on a wink. "Take care of him, alright?"

Judy nodded somewhat sheepisly at Damon's statement. Take care of him? Wasn't Nick supposed to take care of her? Judy turned to walk away before, again, a paw stopped her. This time it was Red, who simply passed along a cloth-wrapped object before walking off, not even giving Judy a chance to inspect it and thank him. With a slight look of bewilderment, Judyturned and followed after Nick, who had paused at the treeline for her.

"You all done socializing there, Carrots?" he asked with a grin.

"If that's what you wanna call it, then sure," the rabbit replied.

"Well, I hope that leg of yours is up to this walk," Nick said. "It's an awfully long way back to your family's farm."

"Give it a day or two and I'm sure I'll be kicking your tail with ease," she joked, smiling widely. A warm feeling settled into Judy as she began to walk side-by-side with Nick into the woods. Something told her this would be a good journey.


	4. Downpour

This was turning into a miserable journey.

Not three hours into the hike, Nick and Judy were slammed by a rainstorm that stopped them dead in their tracks, and forced them to seek shelter. Nick had guided Judy towards rockier ground at the base of a set of hills, and they searched along the small rocky outcropping until they came across a cave, partially visible, only slightly above the muddy ground. Upon entering, both were slightly dismayed at seeing that the insides went _down_ rather than up.

"Maybe it leads up further inside?" Judy suggested hopefully.

"It could," Nick said, peering inside. "You want to find out?"

"I'd like to keep dry, but I can't see ahead," Judy replied.

"Isn't there some rule being made about ladies first?" Nick asked.

"That's for entering a building," the rabbit objected. "Besides, what makes you think I'm a lady?"

"Well you _are_ a doe, yes?" Nick checked, looking down at her with a half-serious expression.

"Just get in the cave," Judy snapped. Nick's ears folded back and his expression was one of something between amusement and surprise, but he nodded and started leading the way into the cave. Judy stood just far enough inside to be able to stay out of the rain. Her ears were trained to listen for Nick as he explored the small cave, and she could hear his footsteps over the rain only for a minute before they disappeared, the sounds of raindrops hitting the rock and trickles of water from the entrance drowning them out.

She waited what she was sure was minutes but felt like hours, the sound of rainfall blocking out all but the loudest of noises from the forest – and absolute silence from the cave. Judy didn't enjoy being sat there, sopping wet and still being hit with water and wind, much less that she couldn't hear Nick at all. With a roll of her eyes, the rabbit hefted her stick and slowly made her way into the cave, carefully walking around the various sharp rocks she could see, and tentatively working around those she couldn't.

It grew gradually darker the further she went into the cave, the cold dirt and stone under her feet making her shiver slightly. More than once she had to use her stick to catch herself from tripping. It wasn't until she was completely enveloped within the dark that Judy began to feel as though she made a mistake. This was furthered when she heard something scrape the ground ahead of her. "Nick?" She whispered, hoping for a response.

Judy had the creeping sensation that there was something behind her, but casting a glance over her shoulder revealed only more darkness. It seemed as though the cave had expanded into an endless abyss, where even her sensitive hearing was dampened.

Judy let out a small shout of surprise as something brushed against her and Nick's voice sounded in her ear, a loud "Boo!" that jolted her. When the fox's laughter began to fill the cave, Judy's fear gave way to annoyance, and she groaned. "Nick, that's not funny!"

"You're right, it was hilarious," Nick said as he chuckled. Judy let out a sigh of irritation as she tried floundering around for the fox. She took a step forward and nearly tripped, only to be caught by the fox. "Easy there, Carrots," Nick said. "You can't see in here as well as I can." 

"So I've noticed," Judy said dryly. "Is this cave good enough to wait out the storm?"

"If we can get a fire going, yes," Nick said. "The only problem with that is-"

"The rain is making everything sopping wet, right," Judy finished. She turned and sat down on the roug stone floor, shivering slightly at the cold. "Is there anything else we can do?"

"I don't have anything more than kindling, sorry," Nick muttered. "But... Hold on." There was the sound of Nick's claws hitting stone as he walked away, before that faded to the faint sound of rain and thunder.

Judy sat and stared at where she had last heard Nick from, eyes wide though she couldn't see anything. Her ears were raised high and swiveled about, straining to pick out any sounds aside from the rhythmic beating of raindrops on the ground outside. "Nick?" Judy asked quietly. Nothing. "Nick?" she asked again, louder this time. Again, nothing. Where was he? He didn't leave her all alone in here, did he?

The rabbit scrambled to her feet and began trying to make her way to the cave entrance, bumping into the wall several times as she took tentative steps forward. Before she could go any further, though, the sound of claws against rocks came back, accompanied by labored breathing. "Nick?!" she asked hopefully.

"What is it, Carrots?" the fox answered. Judy let out a sigh of relief.

"Where did you go?"

"We needed dry wood, right?" Came the response, though it was almost drowned out by the sound of wood hitting the ground, followed by a few soft hisses of annoyance from Nick. "So I got wood."

"You found dry wood in this weather?" Judy asked, somewhat surprised.

"If you know where to look, it's possible," Nick said. "Now don't move, I need to set this up so we can get warmed up."

Judy nodded and sat against the wall, curling up and shivering as she listened to Nick muttering to himself as he stacked up wood. He let out the occasional grunt, or a faint breath of surprise as he kicked something, before the rabbit could hear him shuffling down to the ground. "What are you-" She started to ask, silencing herself as there was a brief flicker of light – sparks, illuminating Nick's face for a brief moment. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he blew on the small bundle of kindling before him. A sharp cracking sound, and more sparks flew, but died as they hit the kindling.

"Come on," the reynard muttered, clearly annoyed. He tried a few more times, each one resulting in a flicker of sparks but no actual flame. Judy was about to tell Nick to take a break, when suddenly, she saw trails of burning fibres after another strike. Nick quickly cupped his paws around it, hiding it from view as he began to blow on the kindling, letting out a quiet "Yes!" of success as Judy saw an orange flame rise above his paws. The fox quickly moved the bundle underneath a 'tent' of sticks surrounded by small rocks, and before long, the fire was going well enough to light up the cave.

"Well aren't you the regular firebug?" Judy asked, grinning as she moved closer to the fire. She held her paws out, relieved at the warmth it gave off. Nick grinned as he looked up at Judy, stuffing the items he needed back into his pack.

"Well, someone has to take care of things around here," he joked, sitting across from Judy at the fire. He let out a 'Mmm' of satisfaction as he curled up beside the flames. The fox and rabbit sat in silence, absorbing the warmth with small smiles. Judy looked around the cave – it seemed rather barebones, mostly gray with patches of green moss and lichen here and there, a few cobwebs but, surprisingly, no signs of the spiders or bats she expected.

Nick leaned back a bit and looked toward the entrance, sighing. "Well, doesn't look like the storm's going to let up anytime soon," he said. "Do you know any good stories?"

Judy shook her head. "I don't, actually. Growing up we only heard the usual – Robin Hood, Merlin, those. What about you?"

Nick grinned as he heard Judy mention the legendary fox that was Robin Hood. "Well, I know some tales of a certain fox that I doubt you've ever heard before."

"Robin Hood?" Judy asked. Nick nodded, clasping his paws together.

"Oh the stories I could tell you about him," he grinned. Judy wordlessly got up and sat beside Nick, much to his clear surprise, with clear excitement on her face.

"Tell me, then!" She said.

Nick chuckled softly, nodding. "Alright, alright, Fluff. Let's see, what's a good one... Ah! Did you ever hear about the time Robin Hood managed to stop a small army by making them think he was a bigger army?"

"He did?"

"Oh, you bet he did. It was on a hot summer day..."


End file.
